Last week, my 2 college friends and I spent a few days in Xi’an, the ancient capital city of China. On our last day we went to see the most famous landmark in the city, the Terracotta Warriors. The location, where in 215 BC Chinese Emperor “Qin” (from whom “China” got its name) had forced over 700,000 laborers to build this amazing display of individually handicrafted warriors. The purpose: to protect his body after his death. It also helped me realize the great development of society, and pride of man, that has existed for thousands of years.
After getting over the shock and awe of the sight, we hurried back to catch a taxi back to our hotel, since the bus there had taken twice as long as they had told us. The first 30 minutes of our ride went great! Until the taxi driver tried to turn onto the express highway only to realize that it is closed! At that point that taxi driver, fully aware of our deadline, turned to me and asked if we had the phone number of the hotel. He wanted to know if we could have our luggage delivered to the train station because we wouldn’t have enough to go there first before catching our 2:30 train. We not only had to make it to the station on time, but we had to ask our hotel to correctly find our 8 bags in a big luggage room, locate a car big enough to fit them, and make it to the train station to meet us all in the next 20 minutes!! This on top of the fact that train tickets aren’t refundable and who knows when we could find the next ticket to where we wanted to go.
Luckily, my friend had kept the phone number for the hotel and we quickly gave them a call and explained to them the situation. Their reaction, loosely translated into English was: “You’re asking us to do what?” After my friend described all 8 of our bags in fine detail, the taxi driver and van driver of the hotel agreed on a location, and the plans were set.
We arrived near the train station at 2:10, waited a few minutes and then found the hotel van which had every one of our pieces of luggage. By 2:20 we had driven closer to the entrance, grabbed our luggage, and run 5 minutes behind a short hotel employee. All this while stealthy dodging hundreds of Chinese bystanders on our way to the train station. I thought with 10 minutes to spare we had plenty of time to get through the train station and onto our train, that is, if this station had been like all the others I had been to. It wasn’t. As I gazed towards the entrance I realized an inordinately large number of people were standing idle in a wide, tightly-packed line with railings on either side. I thought to myself, “That’s it!” We came all this way just to wait in a line and miss our train!
Then, my determined mind took over. Without checking with my two friends behind me, I took off. I pushed through (I mean “politely making my way through”) person after person with my train ticket raised high attempting to politely say, “2:30 train ticket!” Next, I had no choice but to move a crowd barracade out of the way and receive a glassy stare from a policemen, who didn’t seem to know what to do or think. We finally got to the door, up the escalator and into the lounge.
Unfortunately, the train station was very crowded and hard to figure out, so I didn’t know where to go! I ran to a policeman to give him a look at my ticket. He gave me a confused expression and then blew his whistle to have a train station employee come show us where to go. The train hadn’t left, but what used to be the line had turned into a mob of lounging people waiting for the future trains. After pushing many more people, I gave the clerk my ticket. Knowing time was short and ground still to cover, I told one of my friends that I would “stop the train” (whatever that meant) while we waited for my other friend who was caught in Chinese traffic (a common theme in this story and many others in this country). When I finally ran down to the train platform I saw people still boarding the train so I knew we had made it! We ran past 11 more train cars and finally boarded the train with a whooping 3 minutes to spare!
Not exactly an experience I would like to have repeat, especially with several hundred dollars on the line. Not to mention that we fit the model of the most stereotypical tourists to a "T". Tall, white, long-nosed foreigner with North Face pack, seemingly no manners, and little knowledge of his surroundings or why he was taking so many bags with him. Never an image I like to present. But, a decent story for a blog and one I’ll probably never forget.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Ho ho ho! CounterStrike invades Christmas!
So, it's been a while since I was a crazy about playing video games like Counterstrike for hours on end, and you wouldn’t think that I’d pick up that habit while I’m here. But I have to confess that I spent a couple hours of my Christmas day playing CounterStrike! But before you make too many assumptions, let me clarify that it was actually an indoor laser tag facility that they called Counterstrike! And it was an absolute blast!
Chances are, if you are a guy who likes video games, or you know someone who does, you have probably played laser tag some time in your life. Two teams – running around and shooting each other – Trying to get as many kills – using any technique possible to avoid being shot -- when the buzzer sounds, whoever has the most points will be the next James Bond! Great! Right?
That’s fun but, this laser tag adventure was a little unique, due to the fact that we had army camouflage vests, headphones providing real-time combat sound effects, only three lives rather than an unlimited number (headshots were twice as lethal as chest shots) and a real filthy concrete facility! The best part of it all was that when you got shot, you didn’t just hear something or see yourself blink (how realistic is that!), but you for sure when you were hit because you got a little (notice I said little) electronic shock when you are hit. It made for quite the effect and gave a little more of a feeling of paintball where you work a little harder not to get hit because of the slight discomfort of the occurrence. I’m not sure it would fly in the US, but its great fun and though I’d much prefer spending time with the family during this season, it at least gave me short term high!
*Note I was not hired by any laser tag company to post this blog entry, will receive no commission on laser tag visits from viewers, but honestly just wanted to share with you what I consider to be a freakin fun adventure for the whole family (well, as long as your kids know the difference between a real gun and a fake gun. Then it might be scary!)
Chances are, if you are a guy who likes video games, or you know someone who does, you have probably played laser tag some time in your life. Two teams – running around and shooting each other – Trying to get as many kills – using any technique possible to avoid being shot -- when the buzzer sounds, whoever has the most points will be the next James Bond! Great! Right?
That’s fun but, this laser tag adventure was a little unique, due to the fact that we had army camouflage vests, headphones providing real-time combat sound effects, only three lives rather than an unlimited number (headshots were twice as lethal as chest shots) and a real filthy concrete facility! The best part of it all was that when you got shot, you didn’t just hear something or see yourself blink (how realistic is that!), but you for sure when you were hit because you got a little (notice I said little) electronic shock when you are hit. It made for quite the effect and gave a little more of a feeling of paintball where you work a little harder not to get hit because of the slight discomfort of the occurrence. I’m not sure it would fly in the US, but its great fun and though I’d much prefer spending time with the family during this season, it at least gave me short term high!
*Note I was not hired by any laser tag company to post this blog entry, will receive no commission on laser tag visits from viewers, but honestly just wanted to share with you what I consider to be a freakin fun adventure for the whole family (well, as long as your kids know the difference between a real gun and a fake gun. Then it might be scary!)
Saturday, December 8, 2007
3 … 2 … 1 … Foreigners in Action!
My classmate and I are seriously considering writing a list, which soon could turn into a book, entitled: “You know you are in [my city] when…” The most recent addition to that list would have to be an event I took part in last week: “…You’ve only been in your city 3 months and you are asked to shoot a commercial that will be shown to a European government to try to bring investment to your area!” It makes me feel like such a good citizen to contribute to my community by leveraging my white skin to bring some more business to this already booming area!
The commercial was broken up into 2 parts. One in a shopping mall and the other in a bank. After arriving at the mall, we were told our clothes weren’t quite up to par. So we perused around the ritzy mall for an hour trying on $100-200 shirts to borrow in order to appeal more stylish from a Chinese standpoint for the impending shoot! After 3 hours of repeating scenes to get them exactly right, we finally satisfied the director’s fancy.
Next, at the bank, we got decked out in suits and pretended to be brokering $100 billion dollar deals. In actuality we were carrying 5 cent folders and talking about why people liked staring so much (Yes, our words will be dubbed over so they really didn’t care what we said).
Though I’d like to think we acted so well that other companies would want to pay to also use our amazing performances, we didn’t actually sign any kind of waiver or identity protection. So who knows, maybe next week I’ll show up on a slew of those huge billboards plastered along roadsides throughout the city! Regardless, its one more thing I’ve already done in this country that I’ll probably never be able to do back at home!
The commercial was broken up into 2 parts. One in a shopping mall and the other in a bank. After arriving at the mall, we were told our clothes weren’t quite up to par. So we perused around the ritzy mall for an hour trying on $100-200 shirts to borrow in order to appeal more stylish from a Chinese standpoint for the impending shoot! After 3 hours of repeating scenes to get them exactly right, we finally satisfied the director’s fancy.
Next, at the bank, we got decked out in suits and pretended to be brokering $100 billion dollar deals. In actuality we were carrying 5 cent folders and talking about why people liked staring so much (Yes, our words will be dubbed over so they really didn’t care what we said).
Though I’d like to think we acted so well that other companies would want to pay to also use our amazing performances, we didn’t actually sign any kind of waiver or identity protection. So who knows, maybe next week I’ll show up on a slew of those huge billboards plastered along roadsides throughout the city! Regardless, its one more thing I’ve already done in this country that I’ll probably never be able to do back at home!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Tired of school?
“What a long day“ “I have so much homework?” and “Because the teacher said so” all have new meanings after spending a morning in a local high school last week. Let me explain my perceptions…
What a long day… Things like school sports teams, extra-curricular activities, and part-time jobs just aren’t even on the radar! It was pretty depressing to me that students arrive by 7:00 AM and don’t finish until after the sun goes down, around 6. And after school many students go to evening school where they study 2-3 more hours until 9 or 10, at which time they begin their homework. High school students commonly stay up well into the wee hours, only squeezing in a few hours of sleep before they have to start it all over again. Often at least 6 days a week!
I have so much homework: That’s life! When I asked a current college student, who often have much more free time than in high school, what her memories were of high school, she visibly did not want to think about it. Then, she simply said “fear”. Fear of not living up to her family’s reputation or not getting into good enough of a university (based upon a big test at the end of high school).
Because the teacher says so: Whenever a student thinks they have the answer to a question they promptly stand up in front of the class of about 50 students and recite the answer. If they are lucky, they might get a “very smart” from their teacher. If they’re wrong usually its “Come on!” or “Sit down!” Not the most edifying environment I’ve ever been in. Furthermore, in the English class that I attended, where there’s often more than one right answer, the only acceptable response was the one the teacher thought was best.
And we wonder why they are able to learn the thousands of words (pictographic characters) in their language? I was told yesterday, it takes them 7 years to learn the most commonly used 2,000 words. Though its much more strict environment than we are used to, with little room for error, they sure do create a lot of very bright, disciplined, and ambitious students. Students who are ready and determined to be the future business leaders of our world.
So, the next time someone you know complains about their unbearable time at school, now you can teach them a little bit about what life is like for the first 12 years of a children’s life in this country. Is this the way children should be taught? Do we need more of this kind of environment in American schools? Ultimately, it all comes back to a society’s values…
What a long day… Things like school sports teams, extra-curricular activities, and part-time jobs just aren’t even on the radar! It was pretty depressing to me that students arrive by 7:00 AM and don’t finish until after the sun goes down, around 6. And after school many students go to evening school where they study 2-3 more hours until 9 or 10, at which time they begin their homework. High school students commonly stay up well into the wee hours, only squeezing in a few hours of sleep before they have to start it all over again. Often at least 6 days a week!
I have so much homework: That’s life! When I asked a current college student, who often have much more free time than in high school, what her memories were of high school, she visibly did not want to think about it. Then, she simply said “fear”. Fear of not living up to her family’s reputation or not getting into good enough of a university (based upon a big test at the end of high school).
Because the teacher says so: Whenever a student thinks they have the answer to a question they promptly stand up in front of the class of about 50 students and recite the answer. If they are lucky, they might get a “very smart” from their teacher. If they’re wrong usually its “Come on!” or “Sit down!” Not the most edifying environment I’ve ever been in. Furthermore, in the English class that I attended, where there’s often more than one right answer, the only acceptable response was the one the teacher thought was best.
And we wonder why they are able to learn the thousands of words (pictographic characters) in their language? I was told yesterday, it takes them 7 years to learn the most commonly used 2,000 words. Though its much more strict environment than we are used to, with little room for error, they sure do create a lot of very bright, disciplined, and ambitious students. Students who are ready and determined to be the future business leaders of our world.
So, the next time someone you know complains about their unbearable time at school, now you can teach them a little bit about what life is like for the first 12 years of a children’s life in this country. Is this the way children should be taught? Do we need more of this kind of environment in American schools? Ultimately, it all comes back to a society’s values…
Monday, October 29, 2007
Rules of the Road…
So, I remember seeing pictures when I was a kid of the streets of China awash with what seemed to be thousands of bikes every which way in total chaos. Though in the last 5 years the number of cars has grown so much that they sometimes have to parallel park 3 cars deep on the roads in some places, the bicycle still rules the road! The largest bike company in the country is in my city and I’ve also heard my city has the most bikes in the world! But, before I give you an idea of what its like for me to bike in this land (a future post), I need to draw a picture for you of what I’ve observed in my first couple months:
• Bikes are actually faster than a car at many times of day (although with the overwhelming pollution, I’m sure it's not as good for my lungs)
• Careful to judge your speed when approaching a stopped bus (of which there are many), if you are going fast enough and several people are getting on/off, you can go on the inside of it by the traffic, but if it is about to accelerate or few people are exiting/entering, you might stay on the outside of the bus.
• If you are rapidly approaching one or more bicycles and it is apparent that they will momentarily impede your progress, you should confidently ring your bell once, while moving to the side that appears to be a gap appearing. No matter how frustrated you are don’t verbally express anything.
• If you ever want everyone to know you are a foreigner simply stand up on your bike. No one in this country ever does it!
• Just about anything that can be transported in a car (dozens of pounds of coal, 10 foot stacks of cardboard, gobs of styrofoam, trash-most of the city’s trash pickup is done, hundreds of vegetables) can be just as easily (almost) transported on a bike or some kind of two-wheeled geared-machine
• At a 4-way stop with a red light for bikes/pedestrians, wait until the perpendicular street’s crosswalk begins to blink green and begin to pedal. Then you will have a good chance to be the first across the street.
At first, it was hard not to take off like a jackrabbit on my bike as soon as the light turned green and the traffic guard waved me on. That’s because I felt so much like I was at the starting line at the beginning of a cross-country race back in high school (or the starting line at the Brickyard 400!). But alas, I have restrained my competitive juices and at least pretend that I've been riding around these thoroughfares my whole life.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Most Patriotic Day of My Life...
If it wasn't bad enough that I am one of few Americans in my city, we made ourselves stand out even more last night. When we heard about the Women's World Cup having games in Tianjin, my friends and I were pumped about the chance to see the US. Our chances came last night against England!
After our carefully planned out purchases of water-based paint,brushes, baby powder, hair spray, and a flag, we got together a couple hours before the game to prep! Myself and 6 other guys got decked out with "GO USA!" on our dark red chests and parts of the American flags on ours backs. We then made haste to the stadium!
Wow, its not everyday you lead cheers for the loudest group in a stadium of 60,000. Apart from the hundreds of pictures, and smiles from other entertained fans, the highlight of the night was our "lap of patriotism" in the beginning of the 2nd half. With red, white and blue hoisted high, 15 of us ran around yelling USA at the top of our lungs and going ballistic! This inspired thousands of fans to to get up and cheer as well as conjuring up quite a few amused smirks from security guards. But the highlight had to be the first goal the US scored during the middle of our lap only to be followed by 2 more insurance goals soon after! It was quite a rush and I think I know what they mean when they talk about the 12th man!
The match left us with having lost our voices, in dire need of some long showers, and the feeling that we had truly done a service to our country. Not to mention that we were celebrities for a night and had made absolute fools of ourselves (which could have resulted in a possible loss of face if we had been nationals). On the bright side, we even had some other American fans tell us that they thought our run around the stadium in the second half inspired the fans and players so much that they gave us four free tickets to the following night's match!
Then I began thinking about professions in cheerleading (well, not really, but it did make for an unforgettable experience!)
After our carefully planned out purchases of water-based paint,brushes, baby powder, hair spray, and a flag, we got together a couple hours before the game to prep! Myself and 6 other guys got decked out with "GO USA!" on our dark red chests and parts of the American flags on ours backs. We then made haste to the stadium!
Wow, its not everyday you lead cheers for the loudest group in a stadium of 60,000. Apart from the hundreds of pictures, and smiles from other entertained fans, the highlight of the night was our "lap of patriotism" in the beginning of the 2nd half. With red, white and blue hoisted high, 15 of us ran around yelling USA at the top of our lungs and going ballistic! This inspired thousands of fans to to get up and cheer as well as conjuring up quite a few amused smirks from security guards. But the highlight had to be the first goal the US scored during the middle of our lap only to be followed by 2 more insurance goals soon after! It was quite a rush and I think I know what they mean when they talk about the 12th man!
The match left us with having lost our voices, in dire need of some long showers, and the feeling that we had truly done a service to our country. Not to mention that we were celebrities for a night and had made absolute fools of ourselves (which could have resulted in a possible loss of face if we had been nationals). On the bright side, we even had some other American fans tell us that they thought our run around the stadium in the second half inspired the fans and players so much that they gave us four free tickets to the following night's match!
Then I began thinking about professions in cheerleading (well, not really, but it did make for an unforgettable experience!)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Ultimate Sport
In looking for some sports to partake in here, my roommate introduced me to a sports college ultimate frisbee team! After my first practice with them last week, we took the field today, to be a part of a special television documentary on ultimate frisbee in my city.
Ultimate frisbee is definitely a new thing here. The team's captain/coach has been very influential in growing the sport in this country. He was explaining the rules to the television camera and an American guy who was the MC for the whole gig.
Not only that, but the field we were playing on was surrounded by over 500 young people, all in full military regalia! No, they weren't there to escort us away if we didn't perform well, or stand in awe of our mad skills (though I think many of them did during their breaks). It was a group of freshmen from the sports college who all (by law) were doing military training (chanting, marching, pushups; the whole bit) as part of their kickoff to college. How 'bout that for New Student Orientation at college!
To top it all off, my team (who had very little English background) closed our time singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to thank the other team for playing. Good times!
Ultimate frisbee is definitely a new thing here. The team's captain/coach has been very influential in growing the sport in this country. He was explaining the rules to the television camera and an American guy who was the MC for the whole gig.
Not only that, but the field we were playing on was surrounded by over 500 young people, all in full military regalia! No, they weren't there to escort us away if we didn't perform well, or stand in awe of our mad skills (though I think many of them did during their breaks). It was a group of freshmen from the sports college who all (by law) were doing military training (chanting, marching, pushups; the whole bit) as part of their kickoff to college. How 'bout that for New Student Orientation at college!
To top it all off, my team (who had very little English background) closed our time singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to thank the other team for playing. Good times!
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